Shooting a Release....PROPERLY!

It seems that every day while at the shop something comes up that I wish I could share with lots of people. This Blog will give us the ability to do just that. Hopefully if you read this and have any comments, questions or totally disagree with me, you will post it here and we can all learn from it.

Today's Subject... Shooting a release CORRECTLY. I personally think that how you operate your release is the single most important part of your shot sequence. I firmly believe that there must be a "surprise" element every time your release goes off. If you are doing it correctly, you know exactly what I am talking about. Most everyone who is reading this has shot a gun before and I am sure have had someone tell them to "squeeze the trigger." While it is very important to do so with a gun, I believe it is at least 10 times more important with a bow. Imagine trying to shoot a gun with no barrel. Sounds crazy doesn't it? But that is exactly what we archery folks are doing. Every time you release an arrow it is "propelled" from the rear with nothing guiding it except the archer. (a.k.a. "the nut on the handle") When done correctly, every time the shot goes off there is an involuntary flow-through by the archer, the release hand will fly straight back, your shoulder blades will "click together" and there will be some movement of the bow arm. If you have heard the term "explosion" this is what they are talking about. It is uncontrollable.

Why is this important? Lots of reasons.... here are my favorites.

First off, it FORCES you to aim. When I say aim I'm not talking about sticking your pin on the spot and "lettin' it rip." I'm talking about really aiming.... burning a hole in the CENTER of the spot, centering your pin in the peep sight, centering your pin in the center of the spot and and HOLDING it there. As soon as you get the sight aligned perfectly you begin your squeeze and you hold your sight there until the release goes off and scares the dickens out of you!! That's what I mean by aiming! After a few shots you will get used to the fact that you don't know EXACTLY when the release is going to go off but the "surprise" should always be there. It forces you to aim because since you don't know exactly when it is going to go off you don't dare let it drift off the spot because if your luck is like mine, that is definitely when it will go!! Why is the surprise element so important? ...Glad you asked! It really is simple when you stop and ponder it. There is still plenty of time for an archer to "screw up a shot" after the release goes off. It is only a split second, but the arrow is still connected to you from the time the release goes off and the arrow leaves the string and clears the rest. If you anticipate the shot there is a very good chance that something is going to move, jerk, or do something that is inconsistent in comparison to the previous shot or the next shot. If you don't know when the release is going off, there can be no "anticipation" and basically doesn't leave you enough time to "screw it up"! Line everything about your sight up, hold it on the spot, squeeze off the shot..... sounds easy enough!!!

Secondly, it is much more consistent. While there are a few exceptions, most people who "rip" or "punch" a release are not very accurate. The aiming sequence is usually not nearly as precise simply because they do not hold it there long enough to get things lined up as accurately as they should. As soon as it looks good, they shoot it. Many "command" shooters never even stop on the spot, they just shoot it as the pin passes through. Snap shooting will eventually lead to "target panic." If you have ever experienced it you know what I am talking about, if you haven't, it would take a week for me to explain it. Just take my word for it.... it's ugly!! Squeeze your release EVERY shot and you will never have to live through the agony of target panic.

It's easy to tell if an archer is a "Squeezer" or a "Ripper". I can spot a ripper from across a crowded room. Watch their release hand. A squeezer's hand will fly back when the shot breaks while a ripper's hand will barely move... or worse, fly out away from their face. Watch their bow arm. A ripper's bow arm will barely move at all when the shot is ripped while a squeezer's bow arm will have a definite controlled explosion when all the pressure on it is suddenly removed. My favorite ripper tipper is to watch their bow hand. Watch it closely and you will see many rippers actually close their grip BEFORE the shot goes off!

There are many aspects that go into a single "good shot" but none are as important as how you operate your release. Great form, solid aiming and blazing arrow speed are all useless if you rip the shot. Squeeze off every shot, every time!

See Ya At The Shop!

Toby